Occasionally, in the stillness of a taxi or an airplane, she would catalog the pleasures she had lost. Cigarettes. Chewing gum. Strong mint toothpaste. Any food with hard edges or sharp corners that could pierce or abrade the inside of her mouth: potato chips, croutons, crunchy peanut butter. Any food that was more than infinitesimally, protozoically, spicy or tangy or salty or acidic: pesto or Worcestershire sauce, wasabi or anchovies, tomato juice or movie-theater popcorn. Certain pamphlets and magazines whose paper carried a caustic wafting chemical scent she could taste as she turned the pages. Perfume. Incense. Library books. Long hours of easy conversation. The ability to lick an envelope without worrying that the glue had irritated her mouth. The knowledge that if she heard a song she liked, she could sing along to it in all her dreadful jubilant tunelessness. The faith that if she bit her tongue, she would soon feel better rather than worse. Kevin Brockmeier
About This Quote

The idea of self-sufficiency is something that is deeply rooted in our culture. We are taught to be independent and self-sufficient at every level. Many people want to get away from the traditional structures of society and create their own unique structures, whether it is a family or their own business. However, self-sufficiency does not mean that you must be alone.

Sometimes, when we are alone, we can feel lonely for some reason. We may feel isolated but isolation does not always have to be bad thing. Being alone can also lend itself to unwanted unwanted thoughts or memories or even pain.

Source: The Illumination

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